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Faux Fried Chicken and I Promise To Make You Laugh

Ok...first. I promised I would make you laugh. I apologize if I actually just make you cringe. Today's run was humid. I almost wish there was an extra word to describe that level beyond just "humid." A way to accurately describe to you how I felt like I was peeing on myself because so much sweat was running down the inside of my legs.

You're welcome for that lovely mental image. Lucky I don't have a picture of that for you. I do, however, have a picture of what that level of humidity does to my hair. I have it tied up in a ponytail, then twisted into a tight bun, and stuck down with my trusty active band. But those freaking guys still find a way to get loose. Exhibit A:

And Exhibit B, after stretching:


I don't get it. I swear I'm a good person. WHY?! At least I managed the whole 7 miles (middle 3 at tempo pace).

Moving on. I got sent a box of Kikkoman's Kara-Age coating mix a while back to make Japanese style fried chicken. I got pretty excited, because hubs and I really miss Asian food. It has a soy and ginger flavor (awesome) but in order to cook it you're supposed to fry it in hot oil (less awesome). I wanted to try it out, but skip the whole frying instructions. 


Instead, I cut up pieces of chicken breast and tossed them in the coating mix. Oh my gosh, one whiff of it and I was craving ginger. I baked them instead of deep frying them, and served with broccoli and jasmine rice. And of course, some pickled ginger on the side because no meal that's even vaguely Asian is complete without it. 


It was...decent. I liked them a lot, basically they were Asian chicken nuggets and I can get on board with that. Hubs thought the flavor was nice, but they were dry. 

Can someone please find a way to make fried chicken super healthy? Thanks so much. 

How do you control your hair when you work out? Bands, ponytails, braids?
Basically, I try to cover up as much as possible. It goes up, gets covered with an active band, and I cross my fingers and hope for the best. Whenever I see those women running with their hair down I just don't understand! How can you do that?!

Are you a fried chicken fan? Do you have a healthy replacement?
I do love me some fried chicken every once in a while. As of yet, I haven't found a healthy version that tastes anything like the real thing. Luckily I liked plain baked chicken as well!

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received this product for free. The opinions are entirely my own. 

Comments

  1. i have 0 hair suggestions for you other than to embrace it for the entertainment of your blog readers :D I also do not understand women who run with their hair down. doesn't it get all sticky on their neck/back/shoulders/face?? yuck!

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  2. During races I braid my hair, maybe that would work for you.

    I love the smell of fried chicken, but I don't like meat in general, so I don't eat it. lol

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  3. That picture is great! I also know about the feeling of sweat running down - hilarious. Have you ever tried a low ponytail with a bandanna? Cheers!

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  4. LOL that is to funny! :) You know what I use to stick all those strays down? Men's suave pomade!!! It works really well for me!

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  5. I don't mess with things like fried chicken. If I want fried chicken, I eat fried chicken, screw oven baking.

    My hair does all sorts of funny things when I run, usually tying itself into knots that take 15 min to untangle in the shower. I really need to start braiding!

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  6. so what i'm about to suggest isn't crazy healthy, but way better than fried chicken t you can sautee it in either coconut oil or grapeseed oil (can withstand the higher temps) and its juicy!

    I would go with unrefined coconut oil- has medium chain fatty acids which actually SPEED up your metabolism :)

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  7. Lolllllllllllll your hair is hilariously awesome.

    So my hair cannot ever be fully controlled, but I try with headbands and clips and a strong ponytail - because let's face it, they wear out after a while and then you can't even use them anymore

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  8. That hair is outstanding! I love it.
    I'm guessing covering it is your best bet. Maybe a running hat?

    As for chicken- I love fried chicken. Oven baked works as a healthy substitute but sometimes you just have to eat the fried chicken.

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  9. Lol, loved the photo of your hair :-)

    If you are really a fan of fried chicken there really isn't any good healthy substitute - at least none that I have found.

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  10. HAHAHA! Ok, sorry, but that's just too hilarious!

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  11. Girl, that second hair pic is PRICELESS!! You are outta control -- I love it!

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  12. Oh I love me some fried chicken! YUM!!! I don't care how unhealthy it is I will continue to eat it. :)

    Love the pictures! I totally have the frizz problem as well. I cannot even believe how awful my hair would be if I lived back east. Luckily ut is a dessert!

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  13. Awesome hairdo! My hair doesn't do anything but be blah, so I'm in awe of your hair tricks!

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  14. I'm with Kara on fried chicken! I don't have it often, but when I do, it better be the real deal! LOL

    As for the hair... I am in the same boat as you (just not brave enough, yet, to post photos on my blog)! My curls get unruly... Ponytail + headband only barely keeps the fuzz contained, but I can't bring myself to wear a hat while running.

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  15. Loved the hair pic :) I have naturally curly hair and live in Alabama, so my hair looks like that all the time because of humidity :) haha

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  16. My hair is just crazy when I work out. I used a combo of my bondi band and bobby pins to try and keep it in place...it doesn't work!

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  17. hahahahahahaha, that is pretty amazing. It's also how my hair looks after every run. And sometimes before each run.

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  18. hahahaha! My run was EXACTLY the same...sooo gross and thanks for the mental picture! LOL

    I make "fried" chicken with panko breadcrumbs mixed with italian breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Bake at 375 until crispy and trust me, it gets crispy! It's pretty darn yummy...I also do pork the same way!!!

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  19. So i make chicken strips with whatever seasoning mix I have on hand, I do the dip in egg and dip in mix and lay out on a cookie rack on a pan in the oven, 350 for like 15+ min. You have to check often. The trick I use to make them moist is to actually only halfway thaw the chicken. When they cook they thaw out and get to that perfect "just done" stage that is very tasty and juicy.

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  20. Your hair is hilarious! It's ok to say that right? Thanks for the laugh :)

    We need to come up with a running term for beyond humid!

    Life As I See It [Fitness, Health and Happiness]

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  21. i wear a headsweats hat, have you tried a hat?

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  22. To make chicken "nuggets" stay moist, cut up chicken breast into nugget sized bites, then cover with skim milk and soak for 30 minutes before dipping into breading and baking. They'll be delicious and moist.
    Oh and high temps help, too, as they crisp better.

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  23. My hair is pretty long, so I put it in a ponytail and then braid the ponytail. I sometimes wear a BIC Band to keep flyaways at bay- but most of my hair is long enough that it stays put now.

    The husband isn't big on fried chicken, so it doesn't get made much around these parts! I am liking the panko bread crumb recipe up there, though! Gotta try that.

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  24. haha you are adorable. and thanks for the image don't worry it has happened to me plenty of times, been there done that! and faux fried chicken i'm in!

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  25. The best I can think of to duplicate fried chicken by baking goes something like this -

    Slow cook the chicken covered in aluminum foil at 225. Uncover and broil it for the last 5 or 10 minutes to make it crispy. Slow cooking will keep it moist and broiling will make the outside crispy.

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  26. hahaha i love the hair horns! I get them a lot too. I do a pony with a headband, but still get some.

    I wish I had some advice for making fried chicken healthier...but I don't.

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  27. I usually wear a headband too but my hair will do what it wants lol
    Love you picks!

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  28. Speaking of hair, I was in a HUGE rush after working out this morning and today was picture day at our school. The photographer actually had to rearrange my hair for me because it was such a mess!

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  29. Haha my hair is on your plan - I can try all I want, but there is truly no containing it! That pic did make me laugh though. Marrying into a black family, the fact that I did not like fried chicken was a huge disappointment to them. I'm lucky they didn't disown me for it.

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  30. I usually have my hair in a pony tail while wearing a visor.
    I love fried chicken but I try not to make it a habit of eating it. I do enjoy it when I do. I like dark meat and my husband likes white meat. Perfect combo!

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  31. HAHAHAHAHAH Your hair is amazing!!!!!! I can't even imagine how that happens- and yet, you still look gorgeous. I have a trusty way to put my hair in a ball-bun thing. I've done faux fried chicken with buttermilk (or eggs)- dip the strips/chunks of chicken in the buttermilk or eggs and transfer to a bowl of crushed up Vector cereal or equivalent. Cover and place on a baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes on 300! It is awesome!!!

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  32. Between the peeing on yourself comment (which is what about 80% of my runs feel like with all the sweat so it just enhanced my mental image) and the hair photos, you totally made me laugh. :) Thanks!

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  33. HA love it! my hair does best with a hat, mizuno makes a really great one.

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  34. I want to try running with my hair down sometime. I'm not sure why... Maybe to make running with my hair up (yet still wild) seem less frustrating? lol. I'd probably really enjoy having my hair down and end up being the crazy chick with hair flying everywhere... It's a good way to keep people from following too closely in a race, right? LOL

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  35. OMG your hair! :) I love fried chicken but soy and ginger breadcrumbs sound even better!

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  36. Humidity sucks in so many ways. I have a multitude of hair strategies: hats, ponies, visors, bands of every size.
    I do a butter pecan chicken that is soaked in buttermilk then gets a pecan crust. Not fried but TO DIE FOR!

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  37. OH MY GOODNESS...this absolutely MADE MY DAY!!! DANG, humidity is killer but you rocked your run. Thanks for the pics:)

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  38. Phew, glad I'm not the only one who gets that wild frizzed out look after a humid run!

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  39. LMAO. This is why I wear a hat!!

    I wish they could make healthy fried chicken too. Mmmmm. Oh well, it's good to splurge every now and then - right?

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  40. ummmmm yes. i felt the same "peeing" sensation today during my run. i have NEVER sweat so much during a run. it was insane. my skirt weighed an extra 10 lbs at least. please teach me to cook like you...looks amazing!

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  41. halo bands are awesome! and bic bands!!

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  42. You made me laugh...mission accomplished! My hair does some crazy things after runs and workouts too... gotta love it :)

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  43. What a fantastic picture! Have you tried those famous bondi bands? They look like they are wider than regular ones. Or maybe a hat, win-win for sunlight blocking! That food looks great :)

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  44. Confession, I actually DID laugh out loud at that second pic! I too have curly/wavy hair and the humidity JACKS IT UP! I call it crazy head or homeless hair.
    Sweaty bands help *some* but I mostly just look homeless after a hard, humid run. :0)

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  45. Haha! I love the hair. I can't handle it in my face when I'm working out... or on the back of my neck for that matter. Mine's always in a high-up bun with a headband of some sort.

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